In God’s Name – the backlash begins

Channel 4’s Dispatches show last week exposed the growth of Christian fundamentalism in the UK. The predicted backlash has begun, with various bodies declaring their disappointment and anger.

Stephen Green was the first to get his word in, with a bitter press release in which he basically claimed that he was too deep for the documentary makers to understand. He concludes by expressing his bafflement at the Dispatches “peculiar” editorial policy:

where militant Islam in all its horror can be exposed one moment, then its peaceful Christian opponents are castigated the next.

On the contrary, both Undercover Mosque and In God’s Name fit neatly into a series of documentaries about dangerous idiots talking nonsense.

Joel Edwards, the outgoing director of the Evangelical Alliance, branded Green an “extremist” in an open letter to Channel 4. He also said Andrea Williams may have been “naive and controversial”, but did not appear to disagree with any of her views. Indeed, if you asked Mr Edwards how old the earth is – a question that is becoming a shibboleth for rationality – it is highly likely that he will prevaricate, just like Andrea and the headmaster of that creationist school in Bristol, before finally plumping for a figure around the 6,000 year mark.

Finally, the Christian Broadcasting Council complained that the recent rationalist victories in parliament concerning the Human Tissue and Embryos Bill were largely due to negative media coverage of the Christian position, particularly Dispatches, which

was wrong to pour ridicule and scorn on those who hold to Christian values. It was a wrong use of investigative journalism, presented as facts to the general public.

Actually, those Christians featured in the programme dug their own holes, much like the imams in Undercover Mosque. It is notable how similar to each other the Christians and Muslims sound in their complaints.

Take away his usual bluster and I think all Joel Edwards is saying is ‘Channel 4 shouldn’t be allowed to make programmes about Christianity without consulting a ‘religious broadcasting consultation group’ firmly under my thumb, or using a producer who moonlights for the EA, as at the BBC’.
He really hates Green, which is funny as old Dogshit’s easy availability to the media as a religious rentagob may be the only thing stopping Edwards looking so ridiculous, and so often.

A wonderful letter on the Christian Today website (edited for space…)
“I… was utterly disgusted by Channel 4’s portrayal of Christians…filming shots…were made to project that the interviewing was done in some…secret way… as if Channel 4 was uncovering some amazing “secret” underground movement of “fundementalist” Christians.

Yet the Christian values promoted – against abortion, that homosexuality is a sin…are all values held by the Church for centuries. Channel 4…has gone a long way to misleading the members of the public that maybe do not know better. I for one will not be watching any dispatches programmes again after this farce!!”

i.e. “we Christians have been bigots for centuries…and Channel 4 should have made that clear…rather than making out that it’s a new thing” and Christians woner why they are being held up for ridicule these days!!!